


Cardassian Citizenship Day

by GeekyGirlfriends



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Alien Culture, Established Relationship, Gift Giving, Headcanon, Holidays, M/M, Marriage Proposal, also they talk about Frankenstein because why not
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-09 17:15:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8901256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeekyGirlfriends/pseuds/GeekyGirlfriends
Summary: Citizenship Day is the biggest gift-giving holiday celebrated throughout the Empire. Elim Garak hates it. The mere mention of Citizenship Day makes him angry and depressed. Julian sets his mind on making this upcoming Citizenship Day the best Garak has ever had. He just wants Garak to be happy and feel at home on the station -- feel at home with him.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [this--is--a--story.tumblr.com](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=this--is--a--story.tumblr.com).



> This was written for Morgan, my Star Trek Secret Santa recipient. I hope you like this fic and I hope you have a happy holiday followed by a lovely new year! :3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It starts out with some lore about Citizenship Day but I promise that after this bit of lore it's all about Garak and Julian being really really gay for each other.

 

> Originally known as Citizen Appreciation Day, this holiday is devoted to congratulating and giving gifts to upstanding citizens within the Empire. It is celebrated on the first day of the New Year to serve as an act of both patriotism and renewal. 
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> Gifts are typically given by those who have benefited the most from a citizen’s influence. The holiday is not in place to merely exalt the state, but also Cardassian work ethic and family values. Therefore, a citizen who is both a parent and a military officer may receive gifts from both their family and their subordinates.
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> Moreover, the gifts given on this holiday are those that would most aid a citizen in continuing their upstanding service to Cardassia and Cardassian values. For instance, gifts given to a doctor would most likely consist of new and/or more up to date medical equipment so they could continue to heal in a highly courteous and efficient manner. If a parent was given gifts, said gifts would aid them in the raising of their children and may consist of implements for cooking and cleaning. If a politician was given gifts they would most likely be monetary donations to fund a re-election campaign.
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> It isn’t hard to receive gifts on Citizenship Day as much of the time family will give you something for politeness’s sake (it would be quite rude to neglect to give a parent something even if they themselves were neglectful). However, both adults residing outside the Empire and children are unlikely to ever get gifts on Citizenship Day. These two demographics are not given gifts because it stands to reason that they do little to directly benefit the Empire. Children are not considered citizens until the age of emergence and even then they are unlikely to serve the state until they have passed through an Institute training them in their profession. Nothing is expected of children. Therefore, they are only very rarely given gifts either due to some highly upstanding action on their part or an over-sentimentality on the part of their parents (or other family members).
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> Cardassians residing outside the Empire (defectors and exiles) are of _truly_ no benefit to the Empire at large and have no status. If you were to draw a diagram of Cardassia’s class system, exiles and defectors would not even be on the diagram -- they are considered nonexistent. Defecotrs and exiles are dead to the state and all current citizens. And yet, they may be given gifts if they defected with family, political followers, or moved to an area harboring other disenfranchised Cardassians. They would only ever receive gifts of any kind from fellow defectors/exiles given that they are legally dead to the Empire. That is, if they chose to celebrate Citizenship Day at all. This holiday is highly patriotic so defectors would hardly want to celebrate something lauding the values of a world they chose to abandon.

 

 

Julian sighed. _No wonder Garak has seemed so ill-at-ease of late._ He had noticed Garak become similarly glum every year around the time of the Cardassian New Year but he had never been able to put his finger on why until now. Ziyal had mentioned the holiday in passing, saying that she was thinking of what her father might like and that she also wanted to get Garak something. She had confided in him that she would have asked Garak what he wanted but was sure that he would be taken aback by it and say something about how she was a fool to even think of an exile on such a day.

 

All the while Julian had dumbly nodded and played along as if he knew exactly what she was talking about. He had told her that he had no clue as to what Dukat would like but that he supposed Garak might need a new sizing scanner or some other such tailoring device. Ziyal had thanked him for his input and then excused herself.

 

Julian was still curious so, after she had left him to his breakfast, he had searched the Federation databases on his PADD and found only one article that was specifically about Cardassian Citizenship Day. It had been written by a defector so the very slight smugly cynical tone had not surprised him. It would seem Garak was hardly the only Cardassian bitter about his world viewed its disenfranchised members. 

 

Julian stared down at the PADD in his hand, his eyes easily flitting over the already familiar words displayed there. He knew he wanted to do something for Garak -- the only question was _what._


	2. Chapter 2

“I had an interesting conversation with Ziyal the other day.” Julian sipped his tea. He was obviously trying to be coy and hold his cards close to his chest.

 

Garak was _very tempted_ to stop this line of conversation in its tracks with an[ icy glare](http://www.letswatchstartrek.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Picture-72.png) that would drive fear into the hearts of almost everyone. The cautious grin on his partner’s face told the whole story of what was on Julian’s mind. He did not want Julian to throw him some pity party, nor did he want to be reminded of his status (or lack thereof) in Cardassian society. Still, he decided to be just as coy as Julian in the hope this was leading somewhere far far away from anything to do with his home world. “Oh? Did she show you her latest art project?”

 

“Actually, no. She asked me what you might want if she were to give you a gift.” Julian shot him a pointed look implying Garak should know _exactly_ what he was talking about.

 

“That _is_ interesting. How strange she would want to give me a gift. Perhaps it’s a Bajoran custom.” Julian rolled his eyes at the obvious evasion. _Surely you didn’t think this would be so easy, my dear._ He flashed a grin, looking as if he were the cat who ate the canary.

 

“ _Elim_ , I wish you’d clue me into Cardassian customs. I’ll grant Ziyal’s affections are a little misplaced but I’m your partner so I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to share more of your culture with me. Besides that, you’ve been visibly upset lately and you could have at least told me why.”

 

“ _My dear_ , I am not a Cardassian citizen. The holiday is not for me. There was no reason to tell you because you would have wanted to celebrate it regardless of my status to the state or how I felt on such matters. You can’t deny that was your intention. And, for the record, such a celebration would merely serve to remind me of how far I am from home and how I will most likely _never_ be allowed to return.” He stared down at his Rokassa juice and then took a long pull of it. It hardly seemed to sooth his nerves as much as it used to. And, it certainly did nothing to help how terribly depressed he was.

 

Sadness and guilt blended together on Julian’s face and Garak almost felt guilty himself. He knew Julian’s heart was in the right place but this holiday always put him in such a heinous mood he had snapped at the poor man. He reached a hand across the table, covering one of Julian’s with his own. “I’m sorry to have been so coarse just now. I know you had the best of intentions and I appreciate you wanting to cheer me up in some regard but, please, let’s just forget about this whole matter. It puts me in such a foul mindset and I frankly don't want or need any gifts. Let's please move onto better things like that book you gave me just last week.”

 

Julian sighed and conceded, “Alright.” He took hold of Garak’s hand and brought it to his mouth, pressing a chaste kiss to the knuckles. The sweet gesture of reconciliation and love made Garak’s heart flutter. A minuscule smile bloomed on the Cardassian’s face and Julian smirked in response. “So, what _did_ you think of _Frankenstein_?”

 

“Well, I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by it. When you said it was the first work of science fiction ever published, I thought I would have to muddle through xenophobic rhetoric like that in _War of the Worlds._ Imagine my elation upon discovering it was not only devoid of xenophobia, but bore characters I could actually sympathize with.” Genuine happiness and excitement were on Garak’s face. He was being obvious so Julian would know that he meant every word.

 

“I thought you would say that.” Julian smiled and leaned forward a little bit to ask, almost conspiratorially, “Let me guess, you sympathized with Frankenstein’s monster?”

 

“He tells a good portion of the story. It’s hard _not_ to feel for the poor man. He was molded into the exact monster Victor had wanted and then instantly shunned and abandoned. Many could _relate_ to such a struggle.” It sounded like an off-handed remark but he knew Julian understood his point.

 

“That’s true. _A lot_ of people think he's quite relatable.” _No wonder he waited so long to show me this book._ It was not lost on Garak that if they discussed _Frankenstein_ before the reveal of Julian’s genetic enhancements they would not have been able to so fluidly talk about it in subtext.


	3. Chapter 3

_So anything to do with Cardassia is out of the question._ Julian sighed and leaned back on his couch with a cup of steaming hot Tarkalean tea cradled in his hands. He took a sip of it and then stared down into the mug, steam rising up from it to gently brush against his nose and cheeks. He was going to give Garak _something_ in spite of his attempt to dissuade Julian from doing so. It just had to be something with absolutely no relation to Cardassia. _It has to be something that makes him feel wanted and cared for. Something that makes him feel at home in this little corner of the universe._

He looked over at the end of the sofa where he had placed Kukalaka to keep him company. “He could use someone like you, old chum.”

In Julian’s mind, the bear replied, “Well, he does have you.”

“You’re right.” Julian took one of his hands off the mug and ran it through his hair. An expression of eureka colored his features and he snapped his fingers. “I know _exactly_ what to get him!”

Kukalaka bore a playfully imaginary grin. “That is a truly brilliant idea, friend. Something you’ve been meaning to do anyway.”

“I’m glad you like it since I’ll need your help.” He smiled down at his precious bear and brushed the stuffed animal’s cheek. “You’ll look so charming in a tux.”


	4. Chapter 4

Garak tiredly strolled into his quarters after a long day at the shop. He went straight to his bedroom, ready to fall into the comforting oblivion of sleep so he could forget what day it was. However, when he walked through his bedroom door, he instantly noticed somewhat of a curiosity laying on his bed. Kukalaka was sitting there with his back against the pillows. He was wearing a small tuxedo exactly his size and in his lap was a blue silk pillow with a ring on it. He picked up the ring and examined it. It was a plain gold band, smooth and perfect in almost every regard.

 

The only area with any kind of imprint was the inside of the band. Garak held the ring close to his face and silently cursed his eyesight as he squinted to make out the inscription. It read, “Elim Garak, will you marry me?” He was so agog at what he had just read that he nearly dropped the small band. He had to reread those six words several more times before he finally believed what he saw.

 

He heard the door to his bedroom swish open behind him. He turned to see his Julian wearing his Bond-fantasy tuxedo and the biggest smile a human face could hold. He wanted to throw his arms around Julian and kiss the dear man within an inch of his life but something needed to be addressed first. He cautiously said, “I was under the impression I told you not to get me any gifts.”

 

Julian’s smile wavered as he drew closer to Garak. “For Cardassian Citizenship Day. The ring isn’t for any such holiday. The ring is to celebrate how much I love you, how much I care for you, and how much I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you, Elim. You may not have a place in the Empire any longer but you have a place on this station and in my heart. So,” he stepped even closer and held Garak’s hands in his own before continuing, “will you allow me the great honor of marrying you?”

 

His brow ridges furrowed as a poisonous thought took root in his mind. “You’re not doing this just to cheer me up? You’re not doing it out of pity or some sense of obligation, are you?”

 

Julian smirked and chided his partner, “Elim, when have you ever known me to do anything but follow my own heart? You tease me about my sentimental federation nature all the time.” He squeezed Garak’s hands. “I know this must seem rather sudden to you but it’s not as if I decided to do this on a whim just an hour ago. I’ve thought on this matter quite a bit. I’ve thought about marrying you specifically, that is. I’ve never felt so strongly about anyone else in my entire life. I want this, Elim. I need you in my life.”

 

A grin cracked across his face as his heart swelled and a joyous song started to bubble up within him. “Yes,” he whispered. And then, in a stronger yet more emotional voice, “Yes, I _will_ marry you.”

 

Julian’s as-wide-as-humanly-possible smile returned. He gently pried open Garak’s left hand to retrieve the ring that had been all but forgotten until this point. He slowly slipped it onto Garak’s ring finger and then looked up at his fiancé, “It’s a perfect fit.” The rapturous music coming from Elim’s very core hit its crescendo and he burst into tears as he stared down at the gold band on his finger. He felt so unbelievably valued and at peace with the world. “Oh, Elim.” Julian pulled him into a tight hug.

 

“I-I’m sorry. I don’t mean to seem histrionic but I’ve just never felt so loved and cherished before.” _Even when I was a citizen I was never given a gift for Citizenship Day._ He tightened his hold around Julian’s waist and felt Julian rub calming circles into his lower back.

 

“Shhh. It’s okay. I know exactly how you feel.” Garak could tell by his tone that he must be tearing up too.

 

“We’re outcasts without homes in our societies. So we have to build our own home -- together.”

 

“My thoughts exactly.” Julian kissed Garak’s temple and nuzzled his face into Garak’s hair.

 

“I love you more than mortal words could ever describe, my dearest Julian.”

 

“And I have more love for you than there are stars in this universe, my darling Elim.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all appreciated the cutest pun of the century (ring BEARer).


End file.
